As You Wish
by psychekatatnvptisi
Summary: Yuuri takes lessons in love from his mother. Conrad sympathizes.


Yuuri had always thought his life imitated the plot from a Hollywood movie.

When he was very young, Yuuri had wondered if he and Shori were like the brothers in the children's movies they saw on T.V., wandering off from Mama on some grand adventure, only to return very late and wonder if it had all been a dream.

When he was a little older, he was certain that his life had turned into one of those inspirational sports stories about the triumphant underdog team. And while he certainly hadn't anticipated that he would become the stereotypical angst character, he figured that the fight with his coach had made an interesting plot twist to the story. The story's climax would finally come when he showed up just in time at the Koshien Tournament finals and saved the day with a winning ninth inning homerun. Afterwards, he would graciously receive a hearty handshake from his coach and forgive him for his previous maltreatment.

However, as time went on without further story development, Yuuri began to think that perhaps his was one baseball tale that would never make it off the drawing board. The baseball boy was officially benched.

With little time to ponder this situation, Yuuri soon found himself unexpectedly converting to a new genre. Between traveling by toilet and other water sources and acting the part of a powerful Demon King, Yuuri had jumped into a land of action, adventure, and of course, fantasy. An odd combination of _Lord of the Rings_ and _Alice in Wonderland_ he had wryly mused one afternoon as he perfunctorily signed agricultural agreements.

Yet for all his experiences and genre assignments, there was one he was certain he had yet to fully experience. Romance. Undoubtedly he had come close a couple of times—whether it was Wolfram with his unwavering loyalty or the Lady Flynn with her self-sacrificing courage. But for some reason, he hadn't felt that all-consuming, want-to-be-with-you-for-all-time-and-give-each-other-ridiculous-nicknames type love that his mother constantly seemed to gush about whenever they were together. It wasn't as if he hadn't tried; he'd asked a few girls out and even kissed one (Wolfram's accusations be damned) but hadn't felt anything remotely near to a spark. Not even an ember. Yuuri's storybook love seemed a distant future.

So as any good mother does when she finds her son's love-inept, Yuuri soon found himself subjected to Love-101 with Miko Shibuya. And surprisingly, Yuuri found it not as horrible as he had first imagined.

Oh of course there were the few Harlequins Miko had smuggled into his room and left under his pillow or the mixed CD "_Jennifer's Favorite Love Songs of All Time_" he had found wedged into his stereo, but for the most part, Yuuri's love education involved watching romance movies. Romantic comedies, romantic tragedies, romantic science fiction—he saw it all. Other than Miko's few exclamations of "Yuu-chan, see how they love each other despite all their flaws?" or "Now Yuu-chan, remember that love conquers all!", Yuuri found it fairly relaxing to simply nod, jot a note down in his "Journal of Love," and go back to sleep. That is until Miko realized her lessons were not having the effect she had hoped. One scolding, a bathroom break, and a film switch later, Yuuri again found himself on the couch next to his mother.

"Yuu-chan, now pay close attention to this one. I know you'll love it. It has a boy who also plays baseball," Miko said gleefully, clapping her hands in front of her as she resettled on the sofa.

And that's how Yuuri came to watch _The Princess Bride_. Needless to say, he soon realized that baseball was not a focal theme within the film. But for all the talk of true love and "as you wish" its, Yuuri felt that it kind of resonated with his life. Granted he didn't like comparing himself to the princess, but Buttercup's unexpected rise to royalty, her ability to get into dangerous situations, and her subsequent need for rescue echoed eerily for Yuuri as a distorted reflection of his own life. The Cliffs of Insanity caused him to begin mentally apologizing to each of his Demon Kingdom adjutants after recalling that their last attempt to retrieve him from enemy hands had involved scaling forty meters of cliff face. The apologies continued when the unfortunate couple arrived in the Fire Swamp. Cringing at the never-ending reminders of his adventures, Yuuri just hoped that he played more of role in getting out of his situations than Buttercup did.

With Yuuri stifling a yawn and his mother grabbing the remaining tissues from their box on the coffee table, the movie finally ended to Miko's teary exclamations of "Most beautiful display of true love captured on film" and "Did you take notes on that last kiss, Yuu-chan?" Fearing further education by means of _Titanic_ or _The Notebook_, Yuuri quickly begged off immediate continuation of the romance marathon in favor of getting a glass of water from the kitchen.

Grabbing a glass from an overhead cabinet, he turned on the sink faucet, tested the water temperature, and waited for the pulling sensation to come.

"Yuu-chan, what do you think about watching _Dirty Dancing _next?Yuu-chan? Yuu-chan?" Miko asked as she entered the kitchen looking for her youngest son.

The sound of a shattering glass and an empty room were the only things to answer her.

* * *

The first thing Yuuri noticed when his head broke the water surface, gasping for breath, was that sun was exceptionally bright that day in Shin Makoku. The second thing he noticed was that someone should really clean the temple's fountain more often.

Vigorously swiping at the pond gunk now entangled within his hair, Yuuri quickly looked up as a shadow stopped on the water before him. He squinted briefly against the strong rays of the sun before breaking out into a wide grin.

"Conrad!" he shouted as he struggled to stand up amongst the muck.

"Hello Your Majesty," Conrad replied amusedly as he helped the young king to stand and move over to the stone edge. "How was Earth?"

"Yuuri, Man-Who-Named-Me. You should remember it by now," Yuuri glanced upward as he rubbed his hair with the cotton towel Conrad had wisely brought with him. "It was good. My mom says hi. And Shori says…well, you know Shori." Yuuri grimaced as he began to pick at a particularly stubborn piece of vegetation.

Kneeling before him, Conrad deftly took the towel from Yuuri's hands and took over the king's task, hands nimbly working out the tangles entrapping the plant to the teen's head. Eyes focused, he chuckled softly at the imagery.

"My apologies, Yuuri. I'm glad you enjoyed your time. I take it the Red Sox are still doing well?" he paused in his work to allow the king to nod quickly. "Good. I'm just sorry you weren't able to have more of a break," he stated as he finished removing the last tangle and moved to stand again. "There. All better. A worthy and kind-hearted king for the Great Demon Kingdom." He smiled again and offered Yuuri his hand.

"Ha, a king in all his glory, right Conrad? Soaked and smelling of fountain water! I won't be able to keep the girls away! This may work better than Lady Celi's shampoo." Having taken Conrad's hand in order to pull himself up, he continued to grin broadly as he playfully showcased his drenched cloths and dripping bangs. The grin quickly transformed into a grimace when he sniffed one of his sleeves. "Ugh! On second thought, I don't think I'll have a problem with the girl thing. I'll have a pretty open radius with this smell."

Conrad stepped forward, ruffling the top of the king's head. "No worries, Yuuri. I'll stay with you. How would you put it? I believe I _smelled_ this coming so I came prepared." Conrad's poker-faced grin remained firmly in place with the pun.

Yuuri's face froze in mild horror. Quickly recovering, he nervously chuckled as he scratched absently at his cheek. "Eh, Conrad?"

"Yes, Yuuri?" Conrad replied warmly, smile still intact.

"Er…never mind. It's nothing. Let's just go back to the castle. I can't wait to see what everyone has been doing since I left!"

"Of course. As you wish, Yuuri," Conrad continued to smile as he led the young king out of the burning sun and into a shaded portico, "I've tethered the horses in a nearby field. It will just be a moment while I collect them. If you would just wait here?" He turned when he no longer heard the light tap of sneakered footsteps following or an immediate reply. "Yuuri? Is there something the matter?" His jocular manner was instantly replaced by his battle characteristic seriousness.

Yuuri stood dazedly in the entrance to the portico, hand outstretched to support his weight against one of the stone pillars. He clenched tightly at the front of his shirt with his other hand, eyes wide as he gazed unfocusedly at the ground. At the direct address, his head snapped up to look at Conrad, a light blush quickly spreading across his face.

"Huh? I'm sorry, Conrad. I just got a little…distracted. I must have missed what you said."

With a slight frown marring his face, Conrad stepped back towards the teen, simultaneously bringing a tanned hand up to Yuuri's forehead to sweep aside the dark fringe and rest it gently against his skin. The frown on his face grew as he moved his hand to trace the king's hairline and lightly cup his face.

"Hmm, you don't appear to have a fever…but then again, you are quite flushed. Are you certain you are alright, Yuuri? We could have Gisela sent here if you have sunstroke or are feeling at all nauseous."

"No, no! I'm perfectly healthy! See?" Yuuri nervously responded, jerking away from Conrad's hand and immediately pulling off a few rapid baseball stretches. "…1-2-3, 1-2-3…See, Conrad? Healthy! Like I said, I just got distracted. You know—culture shock or whatever. It just seems like I've been away for a really long time. I'm just a little excited—that's all."

Conrad continued to gaze steadily at him, eyes taking in every facial nuance and searching for any evidence that would contradict Yuuri's explanation. Yuuri fidgeted uneasily underneath his gaze but nonetheless held it with his own.

After nearly a minute of tense silence and examination, Conrad nodded briefly before again speaking. "Alright. But if you feel at all ill during the ride to the castle, please tell me and we will stop to rest." A ghost of smile slowly appeared on his face, easing the tension of the previous few minutes. "I'd rather not explain to Gunter or Gisela how Your Majesty has come to be in poor health after a routine collection from the Temple. Doctors are sometimes known to lose their _patience_."

The distant sound of summer cicadas briefly filled the air as Yuuri stared again in shocked horror at his friend and protector. As before, Conrad's composure remained completely intact after his attempt at humor. At last, Yuuri recovered with a soft cough and broke eye contact with the older man.

"Uh, Conrad?"

"Yes, Yuuri?"

"Would you mind if I went with you to get the horses? I'd like to stretch my legs a little after being held captive by my mother all day." Yuuri mumbled, frowning slightly and stubbornly refusing to look away from a crack in one of the stone pavers below his feet. Conrad's familiar chuckle finally drew his gaze upwards, mirth evident on the other man's face.

"I understand how that might have been a challenge. Sons don't always understand their mothers' intentions—especially when it involves their indefinite captivity."

"Come on, Conrad! You know what I meant! My mom kept me inside all day watching romance movies. Something about finding and experiencing the beauty of true love. I don't know. I fell asleep after a little while," Yuuri began to grow more vocal over the memory, "Do you know how many times we rewound _Pretty Woman_? I mean, c'mon! We could have at least watched one of the really old ones instead like _Roman Holiday _or something. Ugh, I don't think I'll ever understand girls. Or maybe just moms." The pensive atmosphere that settled between the two as Yuuri finished bespoke his overall frustration and personal doubt.

"Yuuri." Conrad's liquid warm voice immediately brought the teen out of his uneasy contemplations and relaxed his tense stance. "I've no doubt that when you find the right person, you'll know. Until then, you shouldn't let a quest for true love bother you just yet. You've already proven yourself a good man and one of the best rulers Shin Makoku's ever seen—and that came with you just being yourself. If you remain exactly as you are, things like love will come in their own time." Conrad rested a comforting hand on the king's shoulder as he continued, "As for your mother, she—as many mothers tend to do—is showing her love for you in her own way. Every mother simply wishes to see her children happy."

"And what about the mothers who delight in the total embarrassment of their children?" Yuuri asked, almost instantly losing his fiery conviction and instead sighing, "But I suppose you're right, Conrad—as always." The corners of his mouth began to twitch upwards as he spoke, "Thanks, Conrad. I'm not sure what got into me. I guess one of the movies really got to me."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it just seemed to hit home, you know? One of the main characters was really heroic and did all sorts of crazy stunts in order to retrieve the princess. He fought giants and accomplished swordsmen to save her. He even came back to life for her! Kind of reminded me of you actually—in the chivalrous knight way, not the pillaging pirate way…If that made sense?"

Instead of a verbal response, Conrad gently squeezed Yuuri's shoulder reassuringly before moving again towards the temple gates. "Shall we, Your Majesty?" Conrad lightheartedly bowed to the young man, adding as many outrageous flourishes as possible before the bow's completion.

Yuuri bounded forward in amusement at the playful use of his status. "Of course, Sir Knight. Arise and we shall journey posthaste to mine fortress. Ready the royal steed!"

"At once, Milord!" Conrad replied in character, following his king through the cool stone arches and again into the hot sun.

The ride back to the castle, while rather uneventful, was comfortably passed by the two friends. Yuuri excitedly told Conrad of all that he had done while on Earth as Conrad attentively nodded and commented at all the appropriate moments. By the time they had reached the castle, Conrad had been caught up on all the statistics for both the Japanese and American Baseball Leagues and Yuuri's current subject matter in school.

Distant shouts of "Your Majesty!" and "Yuuri!" signaled the end of their journey as their horses came to a stop within the castle courtyard and they dismounted—Conrad still much smoother than his novice companion.

Stumbling a bit as his feet again touched ground, Yuuri steadied himself against his horse before gazing distractedly in the direction of the nearing shouts, his jovial manner already seeming to drain away.

"Say Conrad?"

"Hmm?" Conrad continued in his ritualistic movements of removing saddlebags and other items from both of the animals before giving instructions and handing the reins over to a nearby stable boy. Attention no longer divided, he turned once more to the young king in front of him.

Yuuri's own gaze was fixated upon the running figures of his fiancé and tutor, still shouting accusations and joyous exclamations from afar. Undermining his previously emotionless demeanor, Yuuri seemed to hesitate a moment, furrowing his brow before drawing himself up.

"Do you…do you think we could play baseball sometime? Just the two of us? I uh…I really missed you."

Conrad held his growing smile in check as he slowly replied, "As you wish, Yuuri. I'll be waiting."

By this point, both Wolfram and Gunter had arrived, in turn gushing over and berating Yuuri as they half-escorted, half-dragged the young man towards the castle, leaving Conrad to gather and replace the riding gear.

A brief loosening of limbs allowed Yuuri enough movement to glance behind and lock eyes with his unassuming knight. A soft smile and a mouthing of words communicated the unspoken before he was again jolted back to his companions' attention-seeking habits.

As Conrad watched the manhandled Yuuri enter the castle in order to perform his royal duties, he could imagine words as soothing and as embracing as a faint breeze whisper to him.

"_As you wish._"

* * *

Extra:

_Swoosh. Smack. Swoosh. Smack. Swoosh. Smack._

For the two men steadily tossing a small red and white ball back and forth, the repetitive game of catch provided a familiar addition of sound effects to the panoply of evening noises in Shin Makoku. The ever-present chirping buzz of the cicadas and the slow trickle of fountain water intertwined softly with the murmurs and rustlings of a kingdom readying itself to sleep, putting both man and nature into a state of meditative calm. The men's odd bit of low conversation or warm laughter wafted upward through open castle windows but otherwise remained a private exchange of comfort and friendship.

"What do you think, Conrad? I've been practicing my fastball," Yuuri grunted as he hurled the ball at the knight.

_Swoosh. Smack._

"I've noticed," Conrad responded as he effortlessly caught it. "We'll have to increase practice time if the team is to keep up with you, Your Majesty."

_Swoosh. Smack._

"You know my name, Man-Who-Named-Me," Yuuri frowned as he caught the return.

_Swoosh. Smack._

"A bad force of habit, Yuuri. I'll do my best to correct it," Conrad stated, his teasing smile tainting his serious tone.

_Swoosh. Smack._

"You'd better! Or I'll have Gunter help me write a decree…especially to avoid any odd misunderstandings. After all, I don't want him thinking I entered a life of piracy or joined Lady Celi on her Free Love Quest in order for you to say my name."

The sound of their joined laughter soon faded into comfortable silence as they again focused on the game and turned to their own thoughts.

_Swoosh. Smack._

"It's William Goldman, isn't it?" Conrad's voice suddenly broke the silence of the cooling night air.

_Swoosh. Smack._

"Hm?" Yuuri replied absentmindedly, watching the arc of the ball as it landed in the center of his glove.

_Swoosh. Smack._

"William Goldman. He's the author of _The Princess Bride, _isn't he?"

_Swoosh._

"Hm? Wait, wha-?" Yuuri quickly looked to his catching partner, full attention instantly on the man across the courtyard.

_THUD!_

"Yuuri! Are you alright? Can you hear me?" Conrad cried, throwing his glove aside and running to kneel at the side of the downed king. He leaned over, efficiently checking various vitals and examining the head injury.

"Ow…my head…I think I'm alright, Conrad," Yuuri said as he slowly sat up with the help of the other man. "Stop worrying; it's just a bump. I should have been watching. But wait, what did you just say?"

Conrad continued with his ministrations as the young king stared intensely at him, smoothing gentle fingertips over the growing lump on his crown and checking for other signs of injury. "You mean about Goldman? Yes, I asked if he was the author of _The Princess Bride_—Yuuri, I really think we should have Gisela look at this. In the very least she can help the swelling go down. Come on, easy getting up. I'll steady you," he said as he helped the teen to stand. "Put your arm around my neck just in case."

Yuuri complied without complaint but immediately returned to his questioning as they began to shuffle-walk towards the castle's courtyard entrance.

"I thought _The Princess Bride_ was just a movie with that guy from _Saw_?"

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that one. As for _The Princess Bride _movie, I believe it was released several years after the book was first published. I never had the opportunity to see the film while it was in theaters, but I purchased a copy of the book before I left Earth. We have a translated copy of it in the library. Gunter did the translation himself—though I don't think the title is quite the same as the original."

"You…book…library…ha…haha…hahaha!" Yuuri gaped briefly before bursting into unrestrained laughter. "I should have known you'd have a translated copy, Conrad. Is there anything you can't do? Geez, am I dense or what?"

Conrad glanced down affectionately at his injured companion, catching Yuuri's humor-filled gaze. "Oh, I don't know about that. I think that just might be the baseball injury talking. Let's get you to your room. We can send for Gisela from there," he said, lengthening his stride.

"As you wish," Yuuri answered, automatically quickening his pace to match.

* * *

_A/N: I apologize to anyone who took offense at my use of various films. I was going for big name Hollywood romance movies that may or may not appeal to a young man/teen. _

_Also, I assumed "Saw" would be a movie that Yuuri would have seen that starred Cary Elwes. _

_Reviews are always welcome!_


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